Noli de Castro, TV Patrol staff test negative for COVID-19; make-up artist positive

MANILA, Philippines — News anchor Noli de Castro revealed on Monday that he and the staff of ABS-CBN’s evening newscast TV Patrol had to undergo quarantine but later tested negative for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after one of the program’s make-up artists contracted the illness.

“Kaya po ako nawala eh nagquarantine po ako dahil meron kaming make-up artist na nagpositive, so lahat kami doon sa TV Patrol ay apektado. Nagpaswab po kami, ayun, lahat naman ay negative,” de Castro said in his regular morning show Kabayan on Teleradyo.

(I was absent for a while because I had to undergo quarantine after one of our make-up artists tested positive [for COVID-19], so all of us at TV Patrol were affected. We had a swab test, and all of us tested negative.)

“Nagnegative po kaming lahat, kaya nagquarantine kami ng mga ilang araw lang. ‘Yun ang mahirap doon, kapag merong nagpositive na kasama mo,” the broadcaster added.

(We tested negative so we had to undergo quarantine for a few days only. It’s a concern when a co-worker tests positive for COVID-19.)

ABS-CBN has been maximizing its online platforms after its broadcast operations were ordered stopped by the National Telecommunications Commission on May 5, a day after the network’s franchise expired.

In July, the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises denied the new franchise bid of ABS-CBN.  

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